Conservation Highlights
May 2014
Recent achievements and challenges in WWF’s work to protect
biodiversity and reduce humanity’s footprint in priority areas of
the global conservation programme
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
EARTH HOUR
WWF’s Earth Hour started in Sydney in 2007 as a citizen protest
against climate change and a call for urgent action. Since then
Earth Hour has grown at a huge pace to become the world’s
largest mass participation environmental initiative, active in over
160 countries, and has gone ‘beyond the hour’ to become a
platform where people are mobilising action on climate and other
global, regional and local environmental priorities.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Earth Hour 2014 event
Earth Hour 2014 set new records for
global participation across the planet in
March, with 162 countries and 7,000 cities
celebrating the event. Earth Hour Blue
was launched to go beyond the hour with
crowdsourcing and crowdfunding
initiatives, for people to use their voices or
their money to support WWF conservation
actions.
© Getty Images
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Cape Town awarded Earth Hour Capital 2014
WWF’s Earth Hour City Challenge
recognized Cape Town as the Global
Earth Hour Capital 2014. The South
African city took bold steps to move away
from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The
competition attracted 160 cities from 14
countries to promote low carbon
development and combat climate change.
© We love cities
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Earth Hour 2014 launches crowdsourcing 1/2
The idea of mobilizing the voices of the Earth Hour audience in
support of environmental actions around the globe took off with
Earth Hour 2014:
 In China, Earth Hour took the theme “Blue Sky” on the need to stop
pollution and smog, using a photo-based phone app;
• A youth-led drive kicked off across 31 cities in Indonesia, promoting
energy saving, reduced plastic use and public transport;
• The #maketheswitch Earth Hour message in the UAE reached more
than 5 million people, urging a switch to energy efficient lighting;
• For the 3rd year running, more than 100,000 Earth Hour fans in
Russia joined an environmental petition, this time calling for increased
protection for 5 threatened species including the Far Eastern leopard.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Earth Hour 2014 launches crowdsourcing 2/2
• Over 2,000 energy-efficient stoves were distributed in Madagascar, to
reduce pressure on forests, and crowdfunding on the Earth Hour site raised
funds for a further 500 stoves;
• In Finland, 20,000 people called for a fair subsidy policy for solar power.
Helping drive the pledge #EarthHourSuomi was the most tweeted hashtag in
the country;
• 12,000 signatures on a petition against the proposed Ptolemaida V coalfired power station in Greece will go to the government and KfW, the finance
bank and sole investor;
• Earth Hour in Uganda promoted the “adopt-a-village” scheme linking tree
planting with clean energy technologies in vulnerable communities;
•Earth Hour celebrations in Argentina supported a proposed law that aims to
install energy-efficient water heaters saving gas equivalent to powering
800,000 homes for a year.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
GLOBAL CAMPAIGNS
WWF has run many campaigns over the course of its 53 years to
focus attention on key issues and seek solutions. WWF has now
launched a series of global campaigns to deal with critical and
urgent environmental problems and threats. The first campaign
targeted the illegal wildlife trade, followed by a campaign to shift
investments away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
And an emergency campaign is addressing the threat of oil drilling
in Africa’s prized Virunga National Park in the Democratic
Republic of Congo.
VIRUNGA
WWF is campaigning to save Virunga – Africa’s oldest national
park and most biodiverse protected area – from oil drilling and
possible de-gazettement. Virunga is also a vital resource for local
communities. Despite decades of unrest, the park generates
US$48 million annually to support local livelihoods, and is a source
of fish protein for tens of thousands of people. But this iconic place
is under threat from irresponsible oil exploration. Some lines
should not be crossed, and drilling for oil in Virunga is one of these.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
OECD investigation of Soco
Allegations of human rights violations and
breaching of environmental protection by UK oil
exploration company Soco International PLC
relating to its work in Virunga, are being
investigated by an Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) agency.
Announced in February, this follows a complaint
from WWF that Soco has breached OECD
global corporate responsibility standards.
© Brent Stirton / Reportage by Getty / WWF-Canon
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Opposition increases to Soco’s oil plans
Protests against Soco’s plans to start seismic
testing for oil in Virunga voiced community
concerns this will damage or destroy their
livelihoods, and could reignite civil conflict.
The UK Government announced in October it
is opposed to Soco’s activities in Virunga.
More than 675,000 people have joined WWF’s
petition to demand that Virunga be protected
from the damaging impacts of oil.
© Edgar Mbekemoja
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
World Heritage Sites now ‘no-go’ for Total
The French oil giant Total has confirmed
it will not explore for oil and gas in World
Heritage Sites (WHS). This was
announced in February by the United
Nations agency in charge of WHS, noting
that oil and gas drilling increasingly
threaten these sites. Total’s decision
follows an earlier pledge to remain out of
Virunga.
© Brent Stirton / Reportage by Getty Images / WWF-Canon
Seize Your Power
WWF’s Seize Your Power campaign to promote clean, renewable
energy aims to mobilize key organisations investing in new energy
sources to shift US$40 billion away from fossil fuels into clean
renewable energy sources. This shift is crucial to rapidly move the
world towards climate-safe energy. Several major public finance
bodies and governments have already committed to make this shift
including the World Bank and European Investment Bank, and six
OECD governments.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
EBRD commits to step out of coal
WWF welcomed the decision by the
European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) to phase out
funding of coal-fired power stations, but
noted this must be implemented
effectively. EBRD is the third major
development finance body to move away
from coal-based energy projects.
© WWF-Canon / Mauri RAUTKARI
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Action to counter climate change must happen now
A major UN scientific report calls for a
more than tripling of investments in clean
energy solutions as the main measure to
mitigate climate change. The April report,
agreed by the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change, finds that investment
in sustainable low-carbon energy sources
will have limited economic impact
compared to the very significant costs of
inaction.
© Kevin Schafer / WWF-Canon
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
REGIONAL CAMPAIGNS
WWF’s regional campaigns range from action on threatened
species such as tigers and sharks, to specific challenges against
environmentally-damaging development schemes such as dams.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
SHARKS
As apex predators, sharks are crucially important to the health of
the world’s oceans, but are being wiped out on a massive scale –
an estimated 100 million killed annually, mostly for shark fin soup,
an Asian delicacy. Sharks also breed slowly. WWF offices in the
Asia-Pacific region are campaigning to get their countries to stop
importing, selling and consuming shark fin.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Progress on addressing the shark slaughter
Key shark fin importing hubs, Hong Kong
and Singapore, report reduced demand for
shark fin following public campaigns against
the unsustainable killing of sharks. Hong
Kong reported a one-third drop in shark fin
imports in 2013 compared to 2012. In
Singapore domestic sale of shark fin to
hotels and restaurants also fell by one-third,
and prices fell by a similar percentage.
© NC Turner / WWF-Canon
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
DiCaprio funds help Nepal’s tiger numbers double
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has
donated $3 million for WWF to help double
Nepal’s tiger population by 2022. WWF’s
work with local agencies and communities
has helped grow one tiger population from
approx 18 to 50 tigers. Habitat destruction
and poaching are the key threats to the
3,200 remaining wild tigers.
© Tom Munro/JBG Photo
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
CHALLENGING DAMAGING
DEVELOPMENT
WWF has a strong and successful track record of challenging
development projects that will damage ther environment and cause
social problems. These campaigns point out the damage posed by
ill-planned infrastructure such as ports, roads and dams in
conservation priority areas such as the Amazon, Mekong and
Danube as well as World Heritage Sites such as the Great Barrier
Reef and Doñana.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Dam threatens food security in the Mekong
A declaration opposing construction of the
Xayaburi Dam in Laos on the main Mekong
River has been issued by a consortium
representing 39 NGOs and civil society
groups including WWF. The dam may
threaten the huge Mekong fishing industry
which supports 60 million people in the
region and undermine their food security.
© WWF-Greater Mekong
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Development threats to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
WWF has joined a legal challenge launched
in Australia to stop the dumping in the Great
Barrier Reef (GBR) of 3mill m3 of material
excavated for development of a megaport
for coal exports. The dumping is also
opposed by tourism operators: tourism in
the GBR generates $5 billion annually.
© WWF-Canon / Martin HARVEY
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Victories in Europe against destructive development 1:
Danube
Croatia has stopped a proposed scheme that
would have canalized a 53 km section of the
Danube River along the Croatia-Serbia border,
and destroyed key natural sites including a
renowned bird paradise.
© WWF-Canon / Anton VORAUER
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Victories in Europe against destructive development 2:
Rumania
A WWF campaign against construction of small
hydropower in high conservation value rivers in
Rumania has gained success with a
government commitment to develop a
hydropower policy in line with EU standards.
© WWF-România
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Victories in Europe against destructive development 3:
Greece
A 22-year battle to save the Acheloos River in
Greece from a massive water diversion
scheme has been won with a decision by the
country’s supreme administrative court
upholding the objections of WWF and a
coalition of NGOs and municipal authorities
against the diversion.
© Nikoç Metpou
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Doñana at 50 – a paradise still threatened
Spain’s Coto Doñana is one of Europe’s
most valuable wetlands, sanctuary for
millions of migratory birds. Plans to drain
Doñana caught the attention of WWF
founder Dr Luc Hoffmann and purchase of
the land in 1963 started WWF on the path to
protect thousands of priority places and
species worldwide. In this 50th anniversary
of Doñana’s creation, WWF remains
committed to ensure Doñana remains a vital
stopover for migratory birds.
© Jorge Sierra / WWF-Spain
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
BIODIVERSITY
WWF’s biodiversity meta-goal is to ensure the integrity of the most
outstanding natural places on Earth. This includes the protection of
biodiversity in high conservation priority areas, and restoring
populations of those species with the highest ecological, economic
and cultural value.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
WWF recognises community conservation in Namibia
WWF recognised Namibia’s communal
conservancy programme as a Gift to the
Earth, profiling the wildlife & habitat
recovery with major benefits for rural
communities managing their own
environment. The 79 conservancies
cover 16 million hectares, help bring half
of Namibia under conservation
management and involve 1 in 10
Namibians.
© John E. Newby / WWF-Canon
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Community support vital to secure endangered species 1:
Mountain gorillas
The 3 countries sheltering mountain
gorillas, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Rwanda and Uganda, agreed to protect
gorilla habitat spanning their shared
borders and maximise the value of
tourism for local communities. Gorillabased tourism brings income to local
communities, whose support is essential
to maintain the increasing numbers of
mountain gorillas.
© WWF-Canon / Martin HARVEY
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Community support vital to secure endangered species 2:
Saiga antelope
The population of saiga antelope in
Mongolia has increased from 3,000
antelope in 1998 to 10,000 in 2013, and
expanded into regions where the species
was wiped out decades ago. Antipoaching action and cooperation with
local herders have proven effective.
© Wild Wonders / Igor Shpilenhok / WWF
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Regional conservation agreed in south-east Europe
Eight south-east Europe countries, from
Albania in the south to Slovenia in the
north, have agreed regional cooperation
on conservation and to increase
protected area by 13% including two new
national parks. Conservation goals will be
included in national development plans
and nature-based tourism promoted.
© Wild Wonders / Ruben Smit / WWF
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Regional conservation agreed in Europe and Arctic
The five countries host to polar bear
populations committed to ensure the
future of this species as climate change
hugely threatens its ice habitat. At a high
level forum in Moscow in December,
Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and
US agreed to implement a circumpolar
action plan for polar bear conservation.
© WWF / David Jenkins
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Governments commit to action on poaching crisis
Forty-six countries committed to “decisive
and urgent action” at the London
Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade in
February, focusing on stronger
enforcement, reduced consumer demand
and sustainable livelihoods for
communities living alongside
wildlife. Poaching devastates wildlife,
endangers rangers and destabilises
society by driving corruption and criminal
networks.
© James Morgan / WWF-Canon
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Slaughter of SA rhino continues
Poachers killed 1004 rhinos in South
Africa in 2013 -- a sharp increase from
668 lost in 2012. The conservation
success in rebuilding rhino numbers is
now at risk. South Africa, home to about
80% of Africa’s rhinos, is working with
key countries involved in the smuggling
and demand, including Viet Nam, to
counter the illegal trade, through tougher
sentences and reduced demand.
© WWF-Canon / Martin HARVEY
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Nepal celebrates a year of zero poaching
WWF honoured the work of 9
organizations in Nepal with the WWF
Leaders for a Living Planet award for
having achieved zero poaching of
elephant, rhino and tiger for a second 12
month period. The organizations
recognised include protected area
agencies, military and police units. Nepal
shows that with determination, poaching
can be stopped, wildlife crime curbed,
and tourism can benefit.
© Akash Shrestha / WWF Nepal
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
FOCUS ON WWF IN LATIN AMERICA &
CARIBBEAN
WWF has been active in Latin America and the Caribbean since its
creation, as this region hosts tremendous biodiversity riches
including the world's largest tropical rainforest, the Amazon. To
mark the holding of WWF's 2014 Annual Conference in Brazil, a
selection of conservation highlights from the region is presented.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Bolivia takes leadership on freshwater conservation
Bolivia has committed to wise management
of the 6.9 million-hectare Llanos de Moxos
wetland which provides the headwaters for
the priority Madeira River – major southern
tributary of the Amazon River. WWF
recognized this globally significant action as
a Gift to the Earth. Bolivia now leads the
world with almost 15 mill ha of wetlands
designated under the Ramsar Convention.
© WWF-Bolivia / Omar Rocha
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Increased sightings of gray whales in Mexico
For four consecutive years, numbers of
migratory gray whales are up in the main
coastal lagoons of Mexico’s Baja California.
Researchers in one lagoon counted 2017
individuals in February compared to 1178 in
2013 – a 44% increase. Gray whales
congregate in the lagoons during the winter
breeding season.
© WWF-Canon / Michel Terrettaz
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Protection of monarch butterfly habitat in Mexico
Successes of WWF’s five year partnership
with the Carlos Slim Foundation include
300,000 ha of protected areas, better
management of a further million ha, and
reduced logging in the core zone of the
monarch butterfly reserve. WWF called for
habitat protection along the butterfly
migration route across North America to
protect this natural wonder.
© WWF-Canon / Kevin Schafer
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Chile acts on blue whale conservation
Creation by Chile of a new marine protected
area (MPA) helps secure a local blue whale
population – the largest mammal on Earth –
following 15 years of effort by WWF and
other organizations to protect the area from
salmon farming and damaging
development. The MPA is a vital feeding
and nursery area for blue whales and
several other cetacean species.
.
© Naturepl.com / David Fleetham / WWF
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Marine conservation in Colombia
Colombia has created a new coastal
protected area to secure important nesting
beaches for endangered leatherback and
hawksbill turtles, in collaboration with local
community councils. And to reduce bycatch of turtles and other marine creatures,
WWF is working with the authorities and
industry to make use of fish aggregating
devices (FADs) more sustainable.
© Nils Aukan / WWF-Canon
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Towards sustainable beef production in Latin America
Almost one-third of the world’s beef is
produced in Latin America and demand for
increased beef supply is driving forest loss
in many of WWF’s priority areas. WWF
offices seek implementation of the Global
Roundtable on Sustainable Beef principles
to achieve more sustainable cattle ranching
practices through improved land-use and
market-based incentives.
© Adriano Gambarini/ WWF-Brazil
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Deforestation rates in Brazil surge
After several years of declining
deforestation rates, Brazil’s annual
deforestation rate has risen 28 percent.
Forests are cleared for reasons including
illegal mining and soy production. The Brazil
Government stated its commitment to
reverse increased deforestation and
eliminate illegal logging in the Amazon.
© Brent Stirton / Getty images / WWF
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Drop in deforestation in Argentina’s Atlantic Forest
Deforestation of the WWF priority Atlantic
Forest in Argentina’s Misiones Province has
decreased by 70% since new regulations in
2010 to stop rampant forest clearance,
according to a 2013 report. The landuse
law forbids clear-cutting and imposes other
restrictions in 1,19 million ha – 73% of the
remaining forest. As a result annual forest
loss has fallen from 18,000 ha to 5,300 ha.
© WWF-Canon / Michel Gunther
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
FOOTPRINT
WWF’s second meta-goal is to reduce humankind’s Ecological
Footprint so that we live within the renewable resource limits of our
planet. This builds on strong foundations and targets humanity’s
carbon, commodity and water footprints which have the greatest
impact on biodiversity.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
WWF develops key water stewardship partnerships
WWF has developed a partnership with
global fashion company H&M to
implement water stewardship and
support wise water management in
priority river basins in China and
Bangladesh.
WWF has also announced a 3-year
partnership with the Mondi Group, one
of the world’s largest pulp and paper
producers, to introduce water
stewardship and protect high value
ecosystems.
© WWF
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Progress towards sustainable fisheries
The European Parliament voted in
October for measures to support
sustainable fishing and against
proposals continuing the destruction of
fisheries, along lines proposed by
WWF.
A WWF pilot project shows satellite
surveillance of fishing activities can
promote legal and transparent fishing
operations – especially to counter
illegal, unreported and unregulated
(IUU) fishing.
© Mike R. Jackson / WWF-Canon
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Leading paper companies embrace transparency
Twenty-five of the world’s major pulp and
paper manufacturers, with a combined
annual output of 85 million tonnes, joined
the WWF Environmental Paper Company
Index 2013 and disclosed the footprints of
40 product categories, reporting on targets
and performance. This industry is key to
conserving forests in an age of resource
scarcity and land-use competition.
© Edward Parker / WWF-Canon
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
ASC salmon available in key Japanese market
Atlantic salmon from Norway certified by the
Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is
now available for consumers in Japan, a
major seafood consumer. Norway and Chile
produce over half the world’s farmed
salmon, much of this for Japan. Farmed fish
now makes up half of all seafood and
demand is growing. ASC sets robust
standards to minimise impacts on local
communities and environments
© WWF-Canon / Jo BENN
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Indonesian paper companies turning over a new leaf?
WWF is calling for continued pressure on
Indonesia’s pulp and paper industry to
ensure recent commitments on
responsible forest management and
reduced deforestation are real and
ongoing through independent monitoring.
WWF argues companies such as APRIL
and APP can restore critical forest and
wetland areas, reduce climate emissions
from peat drainage, and compensate
affected communities.
© Eyes on the Forest
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is 20 years old
Since 1994, the Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC) has certified 180 million ha
of forest across 81 countries worldwide as
sustainably managed. WWF helped create
the FSC to mobilize market forces,
including consumer choice, in support of
responsible forest management that
delivers social and environmental benefits
© N.C. Turner / WWF-Canon
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
CLIMATE
The climate crisis is perhaps the ultimate test of WWF’s ability to
harness its strengths to leverage political commitment at the scale
required by an issue that threatens the world as we know it.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Denmark recognised for climate leadership
WWF has recognised as a Gift to the
Earth Denmark’s inspiring leadership
and example addressing climate change
with its highly ambitious commitments to
reduce carbon emissions, phase out
fossil fuels, and switch to renewable
energy. Denmark has committed to
achieve 100% clean renewable energy
by 2050 with coal phased out by 2030.
© National Geographic Stock/Sarah Leen/WWF
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
World leaders agree key mechanism to stop
deforestation
In a vital move, world leaders agreed a
finance package to provide funds for
tropical forest nations which are
reducing CO2 emissions from
deforestation and forest degradation
(REDD+). This addresses the 20% of
global emissions caused by forest loss
and is a major victory for the world’s
tropical forests, the people dependent on
them, and the Earth’s embattled climate.
© Brent Stirton / Getty Images
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
IPCC report details clear evidence of climate change
A UN climate impact report prepared by
the world’s leading scientific authorities in
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) shows climate change is
is affecting the lives of people worldwide
and the ecosystems sustaining life. The
report sets a stark choice: cut emissions
and face challenging and barely
manageable risks - or do nothing and face
a world of devastating risks and impacts.
© Juan Carlos Del Olmo / WWF
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
PEOPLE
Perhaps WWF’s greatest strength is its people - the staff and
officers who together with our partners strive for a living planet.
Similarly, there are many leaders and champions playing key roles
outside WWF to achieve conservation success and sustainable
development. By highlighting these champions for the
environment, WWF recognises their contribution, while profiling
conservation success and, above all, showing what can be
achieved and inspiring others to take up the challenge to secure a
living planet.
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Unilever CEO awarded top WWF honour
Paul Polman, CEO of global consumer
group Unilever, has been recognised by
WWF for his global leadership in making
sustainability a key issue within the
global retail sector with the 2013 WWF
Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Medal.
Polman led the drive to reduce Unilever’s
environmental impact and demonstrated
that corporate leaders can be part of the
solution to environmental challenges.
© WWF / Jay Louvion Studio Casagrande
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Inspirational environmental leaders recognised
Nina Jensen, CEO of WWF- Norway has
been recognised as one of 200 young
global leaders 2014 by the World
Economic Forum for her community
involvement and inspired leadership.
WWF paid tribute to the former South
African President Nelson Mandela on his
death in December. Mandela was
awarded WWF’s Gift to the Earth award
in 1998 for creation of Table Mountain
National Park, a protected area in the
priority fynbos ecoregion.
© Getty Images
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
New Director-General for WWF International
WWF announced the appointment of Dr
Marco Lambertini as Director General of
WWF International. With 25 years of
global conservation leadership, Marco
began as a WWF youth volunteer in Italy.
Marco officiated at the opening in March
of the new WWF-Korea office which will
focus on footprint issues such as climate
change and renewable energy, and
sustainable fisheries.
© Gemma Parkes / WWF
Conservation Highlights, May 2014
Thank you
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